Assam: Debate Erupts Over Karimganj's Name Change to 'Shreebhumi', Sparks Political and Historical Controversy

A correspondent

Silchar: Though the civic society, various linguistic organisations and public in general had been seen maintaining a studied silence, the change of nomenclature of Karimganj district as well as the town to ‘Shreebhumi’ had triggered debate in the political arena. The Karimganj MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, though a Congress member officially but shifted his allegiance to the BJP, was the most vocal against the demand by a section of people to keep the original nomenclature intact. Purkayastha alleged that only the Bangladeshi Muslims were against the “Shreebhumi”, a term first used by none other than Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore during his visit to the Sylhet in the undivided India in 1919. Former Minister during the Congress regime and presently the vice president of the AIUDF Abu Saleh Najmuddin lambasted Purkayastha as he alleged the change of nomenclature had a clear indication of creating religious polarization in the bordering district. Abu Saleh further added that Purkayastha should not forget that his forefathers came to Karimganj from the erstwhile East Pakistan which subsequently emerged as Bangladesh.

Though the Karimganj BJP had celebrated the move by the Himanta Biswa Sarma’s cabinet to change the nomenclature of the district as well as the town, no ruling party MLA or leading members was seen targeting the Muslims like Purkayastha who till date represents the Congress in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, all the official works were now being performed under the name of “ Shreebhumi”. The nameplate of the DC office as well as the numberplate of his official vehicle were changed to “Shreebhumi”. The BJP led Karimganj municipality board had changed its previous signboard with the new name of Shreebhumi.

However, significantly the intellectual section or even the common people seemed to be visibly disinterested in the entire process. Apex body like the Barak Upatyaka Sahitya O Samskriti Sammelon had reserved its reaction. No other civic body or cultural organisation had till now either welcome the change or oppose the move. Prof Jayanta Bhushan Bhattacharjee, the former Assam University Vice Chancellor as well as a noted historian said, the term “ Shreebhumi” used in a ten line poems of Tagore in his 1919 visit to Sylhet  actually denoted the Surma Valley Division of the undivided India which covered both Sylhet and the Cachar districts. Further Tagore prefixed the word “cursed” to express his anguish over the British government move to annexe Sylhet and Cachar from the erstwhile Bengal with Assam, arguing this Bhattacharjee said, he was at his wit’s end why the state Cabinet had changed the name of Karimganj which was a part of the Sylhet Division to Shreebhumi.

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